Indirect effect of 7-valent and 13-valent pneumococcal conjugated vaccines on pneumococcal pneumonia hospitalizations in elderly

Background: Pneumonia is one of the leading causes of mortality and has a high burden in morbidity. In Portugal, 7-valent pneumococcal conjugated vaccine (PCV) was used since 2001 and PCV10/13 since 2009, being the last introduced into the National Immunization Program in 2015. Methods: We conducted an ecological study to evaluate the impact of PCV7 and PCV13 on pneumococcal pneumonia (PP) hospitalizations in adults aged 65 years or more in Portugal. National hospital discharge registry data from 1998/99 to 2015/16 were used, and PP hospitalization was defined as any hospitalization coded in primary diagnosis as 481 (ICD-9-CM) or J18 (ICD-10-CM). Poisson regression models adjusted for seasonality, influenza-like illness and allowing for overdispersion was used to estimate annual average change of PP hospitalization rate. To assess PP hospitalization trends before and after PCV7 and PCV13 introduction interrupted time series analysis was performed. Results: In 1998/99 PP hospitalization rate was 7.0 per 10,000 inhabitants, varying between 3.2 (females, 65-74 years) to 20.7 (males, +85 years), and annually increasing by 16% during the pre-PCV7 period. Statistically significant reduction of 14% per year in PP hospitalization rate was observed after PCV7 introduction. Between 2004/05 and 2009/10 PP hospitalization rate decreased annually by 4% and after PCV13 introduction by 11% per year. In 2015/16 we found an overall reduction of 2.9 (CI 95%: 2.7; 3.1) PP hospitalizations per 10,000 inhabitants (598 hospitalizations) attributable to PCV13, varying from 2.2 (CI 95%: 1.3; 3.1) (female, 65-74 years) to 5.6 (CI 95%: 3.8; 7.5) (female, +85 years). Conclusions: Our results suggest that introduction of both PCV7 and PCV13 vaccines resulted in the reduction of PP hospitalizations rates among older adults.The IMOVE+ project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 634446info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Impact of infant pneumococcal vaccination on pneumococcal pneumonia hospitalizations in older adults

Pneumonia is an important cause of morbidity, mortality and expenditure of health resources. Since the introduction of conjugated pneumococcal vaccines (PCV) in infant immunization programs in 2000s, there is consistent evidence of pneumonia reduction in vaccinated children1. Limited data are available on indirect effect of infant immunization on pneumonia burden in unvaccinated population subgroups. This study aims to assess the indirect effect of the introduction of infant 7-valent (PCV7) and 13-valent (PCV13) pneumococcal conjugated vaccines on the pneumonia burden among adults aged 65 or more years in Portugal, comparing trends in Pneumococcal Pneumonia (PP) hospitalization rates before and after the introduction of the PCV7/PCV13.The IMOVE+ project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 634446N/

Evolução das hospitalizações por pneumonia pneumocócica na população portuguesa com 65 ou mais anos entre 1998 e 2015

As pneumonias pneumocócicas apresentam um elevado peso na mortalidade e morbilidade na população idosa.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Prevalence and clinical features of adverse food reactions in Portuguese adolescents

Background & aims: The objective of the present study was to determine, for the first time, the prevalence and clinical features of food allergy in Portuguese adolescents. Methods: Cross-sectional study performed in various secondary schools in central Portugal. Randomly selected adolescents replied to a validated food allergy questionnaire. Those who reported an adverse food reaction were seen at participating hospitals, where clinical history was taken, skin prick (SPT) and prick-prick skin (SPPT) tests were performed, and food allergen-specific IgE levels (sIgE) were determined. An open oral challenge was performed in selected cases. Cases of positive clinical history of immediate (up to 2 h after ingestion) reaction in association with positive food sIgE levels and/or SPT were classified as IgE-associated probable food allergy and as confirmed IgE-mediated food allergy if food challenges were positive. Cases of positive clinical history of delayed (more than 2 h after ingestion) and negative food sIgE levels independently of positive SPT or SPPT results, were classified as non-IgE associated probable food allergy. Results: The prevalence of probable food allergy in Portuguese adolescents was 1.41% (95% CI: 0.90–2.03%), with fresh fruits, shellfish, nuts, and peanut as the most frequently implicated foods. IgE-mediated probable food allergy occurred in 1.23% (95% CI: 0.67–1.72%) of cases, with fresh fruits, shellfish, and nuts mainly involved. Cutaneous symptoms were most frequently reported. Conclusions: The prevalence of probable food allergies in Portuguese adolescents is low, is mostly related to fresh fruits, shellfish, nuts, and peanut, and most frequently involves cutaneous symptoms.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Cationic supramolecular hydrogels for overcoming the skin barrier in drug delivery

A cationic bis‐imidazolium‐based amphiphile was used to form thermoreversible nanostructured supramolecular hydrogels incorporating neutral and cationic drugs for the topical treatment of rosacea. The concentration of the gelator and the type and concentration of the drug incorporated were found to be factors that strongly influenced the gelling temperature, gel‐formation period, and overall stability and morphology. The incorporation of brimonidine tartrate resulted in the formation of the most homogeneous material of the three drugs explored, whereas the incorporation of betamethasone resulted in a gel with a completely different morphology comprising linked particles. NMR spectroscopy studies proved that these gels kept the drug not only at the interstitial space but also within the fibers. Due to the design of the gelator, drug release was up to 10 times faster and retention of the drug within the skin was up to 20 times more effective than that observed for commercial products. Experiments in vivo demonstrated the rapid efficacy of these gels in reducing erythema, especially in the case of the gel with brimonidine. The lack of coulombic attraction between the gelator-host and the guest-drug seemed particularly important in highly effective release, and the intermolecular interactions operating between them were found to lie at the root of the excellent properties of the materials for topical delivery and treatment of rosacea

Lanthanide luminescence to mimic molecular logic and computing through physical inputs

The remarkable advances in molecular logic reported in the last decadedemonstrate the potential of luminescent molecules for logical operations, aparadigm-changing concerning silicon-based electronics. Trivalent lanthanide(Ln3+) ions, with their characteristic narrow line emissions, long-lived excitedstates, and photostability under illumination, may improve the state-ofthe-art molecular logical devices. Here, the use of monolithic silicon-basedstructures incorporating Ln3+ complexes for performing logical functions isreported. Elementary logic gates (AND, INH, and DEMUX), sequential logic(KEYPAD LOCK), and arithmetic operations (HALF ADDER and HALF SUBTRACTOR)exhibiting a switching ratio >60% are demonstrated for the firsttime using nonwet conditions. Additionally, this is the first report showingsequential logic and arithmetic operations combining molecular Ln3+ complexesand physical inputs. Contrary to chemical inputs, physical inputs mayenable the future concatenation of distinct logical functions and reuse of thelogical devices, a clear step forward toward input–output homogeneity that isprecluding the integration of nowadays molecular logic devices.</p

Electrochemical preparation and characterization of magnetic core–shell nanowires for biomedical applications

Magnetic CoNi@Au coreshell nanorods have been electrochemically synthesized, characterized and functionalized to test their inherent cytotoxicity in order to assess their potential use for biomedical applications. The initially electrodeposited CoNi nanorods have been covered with a gold layer bymeans of galvanic displacement to minimize the nanowires toxicity and their aggregation, and favour the functionalization. The presence of a gold layer on the nanorod surface slightlymodifies themagnetic behaviour of the asdeposited nanorods, maintaining their softmagnetic behaviour and high magnetization of saturation. The complete covering of the nanorodswith the gold shell favours a good functionalization with a layer of (11Mercaptoundecyl) hexa(ethylene glycol)molecules, in order to create a hydrophilic coating to avoid the aggregation of nanorods, keeping themin suspension and give them stability in biological media. The presence of the organic layer incorporated was detected by means of electrochemical probe experiments. A cytotoxicity test of functionalized coreshell nanorods, carried out with adherent HeLa cells, showed that cell viability was higher than 80% for amounts of nanorods up to 10 μgmL−1. These results make functionalized nanorods promising vehicles for targeted drug delivery inmedicine, which gives a complementary property to the magnetic nanoparticles. © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Viral genetic clustering and transmission dynamics of the 2022 mpox outbreak in Portugal

Pathogen genome sequencing during epidemics enhances our ability to identify and understand suspected clusters and investigate their relationships. Here, we combine genomic and epidemiological data of the 2022 mpox outbreak to better understand early viral spread, diversification and transmission dynamics. By sequencing 52% of the confirmed cases in Portugal, we identified the mpox virus sublineages with the highest impact on case numbers and fitted them into a global context, finding evidence that several international sublineages probably emerged or spread early in Portugal. We estimated a 62% infection reporting rate and that 1.3% of the population of men who have sex with men in Portugal were infected. We infer the critical role played by sexual networks and superspreader gatherings, such as sauna attendance, in the dissemination of mpox virus. Overall, our findings highlight genomic epidemiology as a tool for the real-time monitoring and control of mpox epidemics, and can guide future vaccine policy in a highly susceptible population.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio